This present invention relates to a tie-down strap anchor and storage assembly which enables tie-down straps to be securely anchored to vehicle stake pockets and/or tool boxes or other surfaces in a cargo bed portion of a vehicle and stored in the vehicle stake pockets and/or boxes secured to tool boxes or other surfaces in a cargo bed portion of a vehicle.
The cargo bed portions of many vehicle bodies, such as pick-up trucks, are typically provided with four to more stake pockets in the double walled sidewalls of the vehicle body on either side of the cargo bed. These stake pockets typically have generally rectangular shaped openings in the upper horizontally extending wall portions of the sidewalls that extend between the inner and outer double walls of the sidewalls. The stake pockets extend down into the sidewalls and are normally used to receive and retain upright stakes along either side of the cargo bed of the vehicle to help contain cargo, that extends above the sidewalls on either side of the cargo bed, within the cargo bed portion of the vehicle. However, for many loads it is advantageous to use tie-down straps, ropes, etc. rather than stakes to contain the cargo within the cargo bed portion of the vehicle.
In the past there have been many attempts to provide stake pocket anchors that can be used to anchor tie-down straps, ropes, etc. to the stake pockets of pick-up trucks and other trucks or trailers for the purpose of containing cargo within the cargo bed portion of the vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,353, issued Jul. 5, 1966, discloses a rope hook, with a spring loaded anchor, that extends out through the opening of a stake pocket to receive a rope for securing cargo; U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,652, discloses a hook mounting that is secured to a stake pocket by nut and bolt assemblies; U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,356, issued Nov. 7, 1967, discloses a tie-down device with a hook that is secured to the sidewall of the pick-up truck with a threaded fastener and extends above the sidewall of the pick-up truck; U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,726, issued Jan. 14, 1969, discloses a tie-down anchor device with a hook that is secured within a stake pocket by a pair of wedge members and extends above the sidewall of the pick-up truck; U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,125, issued Jul. 27, 1971, discloses a tie-down device with a ring that is secured to a stake pocket by wedged apart strap members and extends above the sidewall of the pick-up truck; U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,660, issued Oct. 15, 1974, discloses a pick-up truck rail assembly and tie-down device that is secured to the stake pockets by threaded mechanical fasteners; U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,010, issued Apr. 13, 1976, discloses a tie-down clamp assembly for a truck vehicle bed which includes a hook that is secured to a stake pocket by threaded mechanical fasteners and extends above the sidewall of the pick-up truck; U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,108, issued Mar. 4, 1980, discloses a tie-down anchor with a ring that is secured to a stake pocket opening by stop legs and projections and extends above the sidewall of the pick-up truck; U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,991, issued Aug. 26, 1986, discloses a tie-down anchor for a truck bed with a ring that is secured to a stake pocket pivoted, spring loaded arms and extends above the sidewall of the pick-up truck; U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,277, issued Aug. 25, 1992, discloses a stake pocket insert with a bolt for a tie down anchor that protrudes from the stake pocket and includes a U-shaped clamp bracket; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,203, issued Jul. 5, 1994, discloses a stake pocket anchor, secured to a stake pocket with threaded mechanical fasteners, that has a threaded hole therein for receiving an eye bolt.
While all of these devices can be used as tie-down strap anchors, there has remained a need to provide a low cost, easy to install, tie-down strap anchor and storage assembly that: provides a very secure anchor for a tie-down strap; provides for the storage of the tie-down strap within a stake pocket so that the tie-down strap is readily available but out of the way when not in use; and does not have hooks, eye bolts or similar devices extending above the stake pocket when the tie-down strap anchor is not in use which can be an interference when the truck is being used for other purposes not requiring tie-down straps, such as but not limited to, the placement of camper shells on cargo bed portion the pick-up truck. In addition, there has remained a need to provide a tie-down strap anchor and storage assembly that can be secured to a toolbox or the like when a toolbox is mounted in a cargo bed portion of a vehicle and covering one or more of the stake pockets.
The present invention solves the problems of the prior art by providing a vehicle tie-down strap anchor and storage assembly which includes a vehicle stake pocket anchor and storage assembly for anchoring a tie-down strap to and storing a tie-down strap in a vehicle stake pocket and/or an anchor and storage box assembly for anchoring and storing a tie-down strap wherein the assembly box is adapted to be secured to a toolbox or other surface in a cargo bed portion of a vehicle. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ctie-down strapxe2x80x9d not only includes conventional tie-down straps or belts, but also includes ropes, cables or other similar lines used for securing or tying down loads in the cargo bed portions of pick-up trucks and the like.
The tie-down strap anchor of the stake pocket anchor and storage assembly of the present invention has a generally V-shaped configuration with a base portion and a pair of resilient arms extending upward and outward from the base portion. Upper end portions of the anchor arms are spaced-apart from each other, in an uncompressed or relaxed state, a distance greater than the width of the opening of the vehicle stake pocket within which the anchor is secured, but are compressible toward each other to enable the tie-down strap anchor to be passed through the opening of the vehicle stake pocket into or out of the vehicle stake pocket. In use, upper end portions of the anchor arms of the tie-down strap anchor are in contact with an interior surface of an upper wall of the vehicle stake pocket on either side of the opening of the vehicle stake pocket to retain the tie-down anchor within the vehicle stake pocket. A tie-down strap is secured to the base portion of the tie-down strap anchor. With the tie-down strap secured to the base portion of the tie-down anchor, when there is an upward pull on the tie-down strap by the load or as a load is being tied down, the tie-down strap anchor becomes more securely fixed in place and, when not in use, the tie-down strap can be stored within the vehicle stake pocket between the arms of the tie-down strap anchor. Whether in use or not in use, the tie-down strap anchor is contained within the stake pocket and does not project upward through the stake pocket opening to become an obstruction.
Preferably, the stake pocket anchor and storage assembly also includes a vehicle stake pocket cover plate for closing the stake pocket opening when a tie-down strap stored within and anchored to the stake pocket by the assembly is not in use. The cover plate is hingedly secured to a base plate which has an opening therein through which the tie-down strap anchored within the stake pocket can pass. The base plate is adapted to be secured to an exterior surface of the upper wall of the vehicle stake pocket adjacent the opening in the upper wall of the vehicle stake pocket and the cover plate may include a lock to lock the cover plate closed over the opening of the stake pocket.
The tie-down strap anchor and storage box assembly includes a box with an anchor securing one end of a tie-down strap within the box and an opening through which the tie-down strap can pass. The box has bolt holes or mechanical fasteners for securing the tie-down strap anchor and storage box to a toolbox or other surface in a cargo bed portion of a pick-up or other vehicle. Preferably, the tie-down strap anchor and storage box has a cover hingedly joined to the box to close the opening of the box when the tie-down strap is not in use and being stored in the box. Preferably, the cover includes a lock for locking the cover closed over the opening in the box when the tie-down strap is not in use.